Brassiere



Nov. 3, 1953 M. WOLFF BRASSIERE Filed Nov. 9, 1951 INVENTOR. Ma rz'e WEZ/"f BY Pafemed Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved brassire for use by women who have had the unfortunate experience of having a mastectomy performed upon them.

Heretofore, it has been customary for women who have had one or both breasts removed, to use a conventional brassire and place a false breast in each cup for which a natural breast is missing. it has been found, however, that it is exceedingly diiiicult to hold the false breast or breasts in piace, and moreover the false breast or breasts will inevitably irritate the scar tissue resulting from the breast removal. These drawbacks are greatly accentuated if attempts are made to indulge in outdoor exercise, playing golf for example. A further drawback has been the impossibility of successfully imitating the natural flesh contiguous to the normal breast and extending back under the arm, most if not all of which is removed during a mastectomy.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved brassire which will successfully overcome such shortcomings as those above enumerated and will therefore relieve the wearer from self-consciousness and discomfort and obviate such embarrassment.

In carrying out the above end, a further object of the invention is to provide the brassire with a soft, smooth, flat portion which extends uninterruptedly across the scar tissue and will not irritate the same, said portion being formed from satin or similar material.

A still further object of the invention is to so relate a flexible fabric cup with the aforesaid flat portion as to form a closed pocket which may be lled with the proper amount of sterile raw cotton or the like to produce a false breast of required size.

Another object of the invention is to provide the fabric cup with an elastic edging which permits expansion of said cup as may be necessary to obtain the required size for the false breast, said edging being of open mesh cotton material, for example.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cup of substantially ovate form and gradually decreasing in front-to-rear depth toward its smaller end, whereby the cup when properly iilled with raw cotton, may simulate not only the missing breast but also the removed iiesh contiguous thereto and previously extending back under the arm.

A still further object of the invention is to detachably connect the margin of the cup with the aforesaid flat portion of the brassire, not

only permitting easy placing and shaping of the raw cotton filling in said cup, but allowing easy cup removal when' the brassire is to be laundered.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying` drawing, and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved brassire constructed for use when only one breast has been removed,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation with the cup removed,

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the removed cup, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Figure 1, showing the lling within the pocket.

While a brassire has been shown for use when the right breast only has been removed, it is to be understood that the invention may well be made for cases in which the left breast has been removed, or in which the operation has resulted in the loss of both breasts. With this in mind, a description of the construction disclosed Will suffice, but it should also be borne in mind that the invention is not restricted to this exact construction.

A body-encircling band 5 is shown and may be to a large extent conventional. It is shown as having a central elastic insert 6, an elastic tab I at one end provided with hooks 8, and a tab 9 at its other end having eyelets I0 to receive said hooks. One-half of the band 5 is provided with the customary rearwardly open cup II to receive a natural breast. The portion I2 contiguous to this cup takes care of the flesh eX- tending back under the arm as usual.

The other half of the band 5 has a section thereof removed and replaced by a smooth, soft flat portion I3 for comfortable contact with the scar tissue resulting from the breast removal, the at portion I3 being of generally ovate formation, and as shown in Figure 4, the portion I 3 is preferably formed of two layers that lend stability to the ovate at portion. Satin or similar material is preferably used for this section I3 to avoid any irritation of the scar tissue. The larger end portion I4 of the ovate section I3 occupies the position previously occupied by the removed breast, and the smaller end portion I5 corresponds in position to the removed flesh which extended back under the arm. From the end portion I4, a shoulder strap I6 extends to one end of the band 5, and a corresponding strap II extends from the cup I I to the other end of said band 5.

Tape I8 is stitched to the front side of the ovate section I3 and is provided with snap fastener sections I9, said tape being located along the upper and inner edges of said section I3. The lower curved reach of this tape however may diverge inwardly somewhat fromA the lower edge of the section I3, as shown.

A substantially ovate cup 20 is providtd to coact with the ovate dat portion I3 in forming. a closed pocket to be lled with sterile raw cotton or the like 20 (Fig. 4) to produce a false breast. This cup 20 may be formed primarily from any suitable fabric such as those commonlyvused for the breast cups of brassires. Thecup2,0.vhow ever, is provided with an elastic edging 2| to permit expansion of the cup to obtain therequired:

size for the false breast. This edging is preferably of open mesh cotton material such as-that frequently used for mens undershirts.- The edging 2I is secured to tape 22 and this tape carries snap fastener sections 23 whichV are cooperable with the sections I9 in detachably securing the cup 20 to the tape I8.

The Substantially ovate cup 20 decreases gradually in front-to-rear depth from its larger inner end portion 211 to the extremityl 25 `ori its smaller end portion 26 and at said extremity 25 its depth is infinitesimal. Thus, the cup when properly filled with raw cotton or the like, will truly not only simulate the removed breast but the removed flesh which was contiguous thereto.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a novel and advantageous.construction has been provided forattaining the desired ends, and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a brassire for a woman having a removed breast, a body-encircling band having means for connecting its ends with each other, said band having a smooth, flat soft portion at the front thereof adapted to extend uninterruptedly across the scar tissue resulting from the removed breast, a tapesecured to the marginal edge of said at portion at the outer side of the band, a flexible cup, a tape secured to the open side of the flexible cup, and means carried by said tapes for connectingthe cup to said flat portion of the band and coacting in forming a closed pocket to receive a yieldable breast-simulating liing.

2.,A brassireas specified in claim l, said cup having an elastic edging interposed between the cupand tape carried thereby permitting cup expansion as required in giving desired size to the breast simulation.

3. A brassire as specified in claim l, wherein the meansY connecting the tapes comprise separable members.

NLARIE NOLFF.

References cited in the sie of this-patent UNrrEns'rA'rEs PATENTS Number Name Date 1,550,799 George Aug. 25, 1925 1,845,011 Yerkes Feb. 16, 1932 2,258,209 De Joro Oct. 7, 1941 2,421,561 Hunan June 3, 1947 2,440,466 Freedman Apr. 27, 1948 2,598,003 Leo et al May 27, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Numberl Country Date 972,935 France Sept. 6, 1950 

